ABSTRACT
Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of lung airways resulting in episodic airflow obstruction causing considerable morbidity in paediatric population. The main objective of the study was to find out whether addition of long acting beta agonists to steroids provides better asthma control.Methods: This randomized controlled trial study was performed in children aged 6-15 years of age, with clinically stable and moderate persistent asthma.Results: The findings of this study indicate SABA use in Budesonide/formoterol group patients was significantly less compared to budesonide group patients (1.5±1.1 v/s 2.13±0.9, p-value 0.01). Both groups experienced decrease in night time symptoms and acute exacerbations however there was no significant difference between the two groups in these variables.Conclusions: This study showed addition of LABA to inhaled steroids in moderate persistent asthma provided better asthma control and LABA is mainly recommended to be used as add-on therapy for patients whose asthma is not controlled on low to high doses of inhaled corticosteroids.
ABSTRACT
Background:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of lung airways resulting in episodic airflow obstruction. Aims: The main objective of this study is tofind the effect of antiasthma medication on serum IgE levels and blood eosinophil count.Study Design:Thisrandomizedcontrolled trial studywas performed in children aged 6-15 years of age, with clinically stable and moderate persistent asthma.Results:The findings of this study indicate both group(Budesonide/formoterol group and budesonide group) patients experienced a significant decrease in serum IgE levels and blood eosinophil counts over the study period.However, the difference in two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusions:Inhaled steroids are effective in controlling systemic inflammation in asthma as evidenced by a decrease in IgE levels and eosinophil counts. However addition of LABA doesn’t have any additive effect.
ABSTRACT
Background: Over the last two decades, there has been increased awareness that hypertension in children may be a part of the spectrum of essential hypertension mainly linked to obesity epidemic. An increasing number of children and adolescents are being diagnosed with hypertension. Objectives of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension among apparently healthy school children residing in the valley of Kashmir.Methods: It was a community based cross sectional study was done over a period of one year in School going children aged 11 to 16 years from both urban and rural areas of Kashmir valley.Results: Thus, prevalence of hypertension was 5.1% and prevalence of prehypertension was 9.3%. Out of total 1600 children 1464 (91.5%) had a normal BMI, 72 (4.5%) were overweight and 64 (4%) were obese. In the prehypertensive group 114 (77%) had normal BMI, 18 (12.16%) were overweight and 16 (10.8%) were obese. In the hypertensive group 30 (36.6%) had normal BMI, 26 (31.7%) were overweight and 26 (31.7%) were obese.Conclusions: Our study reveals that hypertension is not uncommon in Kashmiri children. With globalization bringing more lifestyle modifications, children are exposed to multiple risk factors including obesity and family history of hypertension. We need to make people aware of these facts so that blood pressure measurement could be a part of routine health care check-up in children to detect it early and do necessary interventions.
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Background: Seizures are the most common pediatric neurologic disorder, with 4% to 10% of children suffering at least one seizure in the first 16 years of life objectives to compare efficacy of IV phenytoin, IV valproate, and IV levetiracetam in childhood seizures between 2months to 16 years of age.Methods: This prospective, randomized, study was done on pediatric patients in the age group of 2 months to 16 years who present actively convulsing to the emergency department of pediatrics.Results: At 24 hours seizures were controlled in 44 (88%) patients out of 50 patients in phenytoin group, 39 (78%) out of 50 patients in levetiracetam group and 46 (92%) out of 50 patients in valproate group (p-value 0.115). The relative risk of seizure recurrence for levetiracetam and phenytoin groups when compared to valproate was 2.75 and 1.5, respectively.Conclusions: Present study demonstrates that IV levetiracetam and IV valproate were comparable to IV phenytoin in terms of seizure control in acute setting. All the three are safe and efficacious. Time to regain consciousness was less in valproate group and long-term seizure control too was also better.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Status epilepticus is a common pediatricneurological emergency. Study aimed to compare changes inhemodynamic parameters during the management of pediatricstatus epilepticus using different first line anticonvulsants.Material and Methods: This prospective, randomized, studywas done on Pediatric patients in the age group of 2 monthsto 16 years who present actively convulsing to the emergencydepartment of pediatrics.Results: The mean time to regain consciousness in phenytoin,levetiracetam and valproate groups was 122.3(± 45.4) minutes,120.8(±42.8) minutes and 75.0(±30.7) minutes (mean±S.D)respectively. There was no significant difference in the threegroups in various vital parameters like heart rate, systolicblood pressure, spo2 and respiratory rate recorded at regularintervals in the acute stage (p value > 0.05).Conclusion: All the three anticonvulsants studied are safeand efficacious, and there is no significant difference inthe cardiorespiratory parameters of three groups, and thetime to regain consciousness was less in valproate group incomparison to other groups